A place for reflection and introspection, communication and thoughtful conversation.

Monday, 18 May 2015

MOVIE MONDAY - IN THIS WORLD

“Where we love is home, home
that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” - Victor HugoTo be forced to
flee from one’s home and country for one or another reason must be one of the
most traumatic experiences that one can live through. The life of a refugee is
fraught with dangers, hardships, risks, an uncertain future and often of
course, brevity - as death stalks the refugee on many fronts (I still remember
with horror the 58 Chinese refugees who were found suffocated in a container in
Dover). Throughout the world, the number of refugees is escalating and the
reasons why they are forced to leave their homes are many and varied: Political
persecution, religious intolerance, social problems, economic reasons, war,
terrorism, famine, natural disasters…A refugee is
so-called because he or she is seeking refuge or asylum. Protection from the
dangers that threaten their existence in their native lands and the chance to
live a peaceful, safe existence. The 1951 United Nations Convention on the
Status of Refugees defined a refugee as a person who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race,
religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political
opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or,
owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that
country.” This definition was expanded in 1967 to include “persons who had fled war or other violence
in their home country”.The U.S.
Committee for Refugees and Immigrants gives the current world total of refugees
as approximately 12 million and estimates there are over 34 million displaced
by war, including internally
displaced persons, who remain within the same national borders. The
majority of refugees who leave their country seek asylum in countries
neighbouring their country of nationality.This topic is
dear to my heart as my family and I were forced to leave our homeland (Greece)
in late 1969 and we had to come to live in Australia, because of political
reasons. We were opposed to the military junta of Greece at the time, and as my
parents were involved in anti-dictatorship activities it came to the point of
risking capture and being jailed or fleeing. We were lucky to be accepted for
immigration into Australia, with some fortunate and timely intervention by
relatives and friends.The film we
watched last weekend struck a chord with me, even thought the circumstances of
the refugees shown were different. The film is “In This World” (2002)
and is directed by Michael Winterbottom. It is made in the style of a
documentary, but although the story is inspired by actual events, it is a
dramatised account. It is the story of two cousins, Enayat and Jamal, who are
Afghan refugees. They live in a camp in Peshawar in Pakistan and try to escape
to Great Britain using the help of people smugglers. Their dangerous journey
leads them along the ancient “Silk Road” through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey
towards London.It is shot on DV
and considering the medium, the cinematography is great, with some of the night
shots in the mountains of border of Turkey, very dark, grainy and indistinct,
creating a tension and atmosphere of fear that would have been difficult to
portray with well-shot film.The film
does not politicise, nor does it preach. It is a fairly dispassionate account
told without guile and one feels drawn into the plight of the characters, even
though characterisation is minimal. On their odyssey, the two boys have to
contend with border guards, police, thieves, smugglers, and numerous changes in
currency and language. The vision of London is that of a paradise that beckons
them and it is this dream-like Cockaigne that sustains them during their
arduous trip. The film makes us identify with the main characters because it
establishes very quickly their humanity, which we share.The film,
however, is making an important political statement. It forces us to take a
stand in the end, forces us to take sides and have an opinion. How to deal with
this world-wide problem, how to heal the social and political cancers in those
countries that force their populations to flee? How to prevent exploitation of
the weak and needy by the rich and powerful and how to prevent human tragedies
from recurring? This is a powerful film, sad but oddly hopeful at the same
time. Young Jamal reminded me of a stray seed carried by the wind and landing
on a rocky infertile mountain. He battles with the elements in order to
germinate and grow, but the adversity makes this young stunted plant strong and
resistant to the unfavourable environment. What does not destroy him, makes him
stronger…

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WELCOME

Welcome to Nicholas V's Blog on Blogger

I have been blogging daily on this platform for several years now. It is surprising that I have persisted as the world is changing and "microblogging" is now the norm. I blog to amuse myself, make comment on current affairs, externalise some of my creativity, keep notes on things that interest me, learn something new and to surprise myself with things that I discover about this wonderful, and sometimes crazy, world we live in.

I sometimes get the impression that I am on a soapbox delivering a monologue, so your comments are welcome.